Identifying errors in screenplays
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Notes on videos about subtext
VIDEO 1:
Subtext into screenplay
Conversation = an exchange of ideas
Dialogue = an exchange of ideas directed at solving a problem – a negotiation, argument, duel, fight, flirtation. A conversation confronting any type of conflict. Points toward a goal.
VIDEO 2 :
Subtext in film
VIDEO 3:
How subtext is operated
E.g – the film might be about a broken marriage and the characters talk about/argue about a broken tap in their home – metaphorical and purposely avoiding the real topic for subtext
2. Describe behaviour, the characters body language. Just about whats happening
VIDEO 4:
Parasite – the power of symbols
Bong Jung Ho created compelling plot and performances and cleverly uses symbols and motifs.
Symbols are important in films as they stand for something and can gie audiences powerful messages indirectly. Highly concentrated meaning makes them so impactful.
In Parasite there are two main symbols throughout the film;
The viewing stone is introduced early in the film through a friend of Ki-Woos, with the intention of bringing the family wealth and luck.
The Kim’s are in poverty and share a small, basement space and Ki-Woo looks up to Min his friend, and becomes obsessed with the viewing stone seeing it as sign and a symbol for him to be successful and become rich.
The stone represents how Ki-Woo wants what he doesnt have – wealth – and is surrounded by it in his work trying to imitate Min
The second symbol, smell, is introduced later on when the Kim family are all working in the house as tutors, cleaner and driver.
The smell is brought up when the rich family begin to comment on it, in the car and the child runs up to 2 of them and says they smell the same, unknowingly threatening to reveal their true identity.
Smell represents the Kim familys poverty and the binary opposition of wealth and poverty, reminds the family they are in a poverty they cant escape.
A symbol creates a resonance like a ripple as it is repeated, and this repetition makes the audience more aware of this symbol and that is is important. They may not even be consciously aware of it but the repetition makes it stick.
A repeated symbol is also known as a motif. Lots of the same symbol is called a motif.
Multiple motifs create a theme, which is a lesson to take away from the story that is textually supported by the story.
The difference between and motif and theme is that a motif is concrete and a theme is abstract and can be inferred in multiple ways. A theme is the meaning being expressed by these motifs.
The theme in parasite is wealth and poverty – the smell and the rich family constantly repeating it and pushing it, keeps reminding the Kim’s of their poverty that they are stuck in, which makes it reach a breaking point.
Both of the motifs contribute to the breaking point, the reminders of the smell pushes the Kim father to kill the rich father, and Ki- woo uses the viewing stone as a weapon.
Notes on scriptwriting videos
VIDEO 1:
Video 2
Tips from Aaron Sorkin
VIDEO 3
Tips from Quentin Tarantino
VIDEO 4
Tips on how to format a screenplay
Component 3 Planning
Researching short films
When the day breaks
Characters
The chicken is immediately shown, suggesting his importance and introducing him as a protagonist. Another way his importance is implied is through the way he is dressed in a suit and seems like he has to be somewhere.
The next shown character is the pig, she seems very carefree and happy, shown in the music playing and her body language- shes singing and dancing.
Binary oppositions
Human vs animal – whilst the characters are all animals, none are shown to be the same animal suggesting a world similar to how humans are not the same either. Their homes, items and clothes all suggests humanity in them and how they behave.
Life vs death – the short film explores this binary opposition through the montage of pictures of death (bones, the chicken being run over) and then images of the chickens life and relatives all the way back to the beginning of chicken eggs. Also through the way the pig lives her life selfishly not thinking of others without realising until she witnesses the chicken die and changes her perspective.
Messages and ideas
The lack of dialogue and input of close sonic perspective and music creates a slightly uncomfortable soundtrack, matching the theme of death which is also uncomfortable.
The focus on the lemon that the chicken bought and dropped when bumping into the pig, could be reflective of the well known quote “when life gives you lemons”. This could be a sign for the pig to be more grateful about what life brings and more aware of others lives.
The different types of animals making up the town yet they are all connected shows the humanity that we dont see in animals, making them come across just as human as we are and feeling emotions like we do, which could be an animal rights view on the world.
How the film makes you feel/what do you think about?
The short film makes me think of the way we all take life for granted, upon first seeing the chicken you dont expect him to die and was unexpected, showing how life can have many twists that you cant prepare for. This is also part of the cycle of life and death which the film also makes you think about, through the montage particularly showing how important the chickens life was even though he was just a stranger- even if you dont know someone they all have stories and experiences that are unique, but the cycle connects everyone.
High Maintenance
Characters
The protagonist is presented to be the woman, as she is the first character we see and is shown to have the dominance over the man. The camera focuses on her expressions and her actions.
The man, her husband, is shown as a bit of a mystery and we are seeing him from an over the shoulder shot in low light, suggesting he is not of much importance.
Time and place
The setting is of the couple having celebratory dinner in their home, of their anniversary which is seemingly very important to the woman and not so much to the man.
When she is bored of him, he is revealed to not be human and has an off switch, and she proceeds to find a new husband to have dinner and celebrate an anniversary with. This makes the audience question whether the anniversary is real, or the woman is living in a cycle where this dinner is repeated, creating a warped sense of time.
Narrative
The film doesn’t start off with a clear narrative, although we come to realise that something is off between the characters – their body language and actions dont seem human. This story is focused on the woman and her lack of happiness within her relationships, hence trying to replace her husband only to be taken advantage of, by the new model.
Binary Oppositions
Robot vs Human – Both the woman and the man act robotically and speak bluntly, until the woman gets angry at the man for not drinking and has an angry fit which is so far, out of character; the husband barely reacts. It could be that once the new husband arrives, she is now the robot and him not. He switches her off and seems smug suggesting he has more emotions and acted otherwise to come across different.
Woman vs man – a conflict between the husband and wife, she seems to be more dominant and angry, whilst he shows little emotions and is not revealed much by being kept in lowkey lighting and often seen from over the shoulder shots. They are rarely in the same shot suggesting they are not connected or on good terms. Perhaps they don’t know eachother as well as made out, because of the repetitive cycle of the woman getting new models.
Messages and ideas
The way the woman is living in a cycle, could suggest how she will ever be completely happy as a part of a consumerist society as the standards are high in products and to be satisfied is rare.
To begin with, the power the woman had over the man was clear especially when she switches him off easily on her own accord. Perhaps the world in which this story is set is run by women, the person on the other end of the line was a female, as were the two delivery people. Men are under their influence until the end where that twists.
How the film makes you feel/what do you think about?
Feelings of tension and uncomfortableness are created through the use of action/reaction shots between the two characters showing them in a conflict, as well as the close sonic perspective of chewing and eating food at the table.
There is no sense of empathy and unlikely for viewers to relate to the characters, due to their distant and blunt personalities, the characters might make a viewer feel uncomfortable, particularly the woman who seems to feel nothing towards the man.
The Grandmother
Characters
The parents are portrayed as inhuman- they are pale and seem to move like an animal, coming across as eerie and emotionless. When they say the boys name, it sounds like a dogs bark. A shot of the father is in lowkey lighting and comes across as very creepy.
The boy is pale and emotionless just like the parents, although this seems out of place for a child suggesting he is neglected/ abused by his parents.
The boy emerged from the ground and was left alone in the trees, and later grows a grandmother from a seed, suggesting both these characters have a connection with nature, whereas the parents do not share this.
Time and place
The setting is in the family’s home, which is extremely dark and lit in lowkey lighting, coming across as eerie and cold.
Some scenes are shot outside of the house, mainly at the beginning showing the start of the boys life and him coming from nature. The outside scenes are important because of his and the grandmothers connection to nature
Narrative structure
Set up in a linear structure, we are shown the beginning of the father and mother, and then the boy. It is clear the main issue is that he is neglected by his parents, the first scene in the house shows him alone in a dark room and a bright white bed showing his isolation.
The use of animation included within the shots, creates a sense of ambiguity and mystery, leaving viewers to infer for themselves
Instead of dialogue there is music and noises which creates the tension between the parents and the boy
Binary oppositions
Adult vs child – The parents have a dominance over the boy, they make him feel neglected and abuse him, whilst the grandmother cares for him and is clear she has a connection with him.
Nature vs the house – the boy has a strong connection to nature, in the scenes outside he is shown to look more human as apposed to in the house where he is pale and trapped inside. The beginning shows he grows from the ground, perhaps he is made to be outdoors yet is kept indoors and therefore miserable
Messages and ideas
The way the boy deals with his parents neglection, shows the effect that abuse has on young children- he uses his imagination to escape from the reality, and only seems himself and alive when he is outside and not trapped by his parents.
The grandmother is all in his head as an escape from his parents- his ideal life and how he wishes he could simply grow someone to care for him.
La Jetee
Characters
As told by the narrator, the protagonist is a man part of a tale-like story. We are aligned with him through his POV throughout, this is his take on the story.
An unnamed woman is another character, although it is unclear his relation to him or if she even exists outside of his mind.
Time and place
Set in Paris, France which is clearly shown at the beginning, as well as dark images with text on telling the events at the time the film is set – the future of WW2.
The time is ambiguous in the film, there is no straightforward timeline as the characters travel in time creating the illusion of movement.
Narrative
The theme is time and movement, shown through the way there are many still shots yet zooming in or music tells viewers there is more behind the still image, which creates this image that these characters are trapped in some sort of time travel.
The use of enigmas creates confusion yet interest, we are unsure of the womans presence being real or not, no names are given to the characters.
Meri's film studies blog 